


We're All Screw Ups

by iwasnthere622



Series: Zason Oneshots [3]
Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 20:10:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11631018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwasnthere622/pseuds/iwasnthere622
Summary: After the bonfire, Jason feels lost, so he follows Zack.





	We're All Screw Ups

The silence after Trini's question if they were friends was deafening, another weight pushing down on Jason. How was he supposed to lead them when they weren't even a team, not really? Why did they have to find the stupid coins in the first place, why did he have to get the red one, why did everyone look at him and think, leader, when he'd been drowning in his own head for years?

 

They all finished their drinks and avoided eye contact, until finally Billy said that he should probably head home so his mom didn't worry too much and that seemed to spark the rest of them into movement.

 

Kim mumbled something out about her parents, and Jason watched Trini sniffle and try to casually wipe at her face and looked away, ashamed and lost. He watched Kim and Billy leave, watched Zack hover by Trini before she left, too, and then he just stood there and watched Zack put out the fire and cover the embers with dirt to ensure it was really out and wouldn't damage anything.

 

He didn't even realize he'd started following Zack until the black ranger paused on his way to the train car, turning to face him. "You stalking me or something?"

 

Jason blinked at him, shaking his head slightly. "No, of course not. Sorry, man, it's been a long day."

 

Zack studied him, and Jason found it a little unnerving that he couldn't read his expression at all, the open honesty from before gone.

 

"Whatever, dude," Zack said at last, turning and continuing on his path, not saying anything else when Jason followed him again.

 

They made it to the train car and Zack tossed his bag inside.

 

"You really sleep here?" Jason asked, looking around.

 

"Sometimes," Zack answered.

 

"Doesn't it get cold at night?" Jason pressed.

 

"Sometimes," Zack repeated, pulling out an old-looking blanket and sitting on the ground, leaning back against the cool metal of the car and spreading the blanket on his legs, staring up at Jason and raising an eyebrow at him.

 

"Why are you still here?"

 

Jason startled at the question, opening his mouth only to frown and close it again, not sure of his answer.

 

Zack sighed, studying him again for what seemed like forever until at last he lifted the edge of his blanket up in silent invitation.

 

Jason hesitated before moving forward, sitting carefully next to Zack and helping him smooth the blanket out over both of them, not realizing how cold he was until he had the extra layer.

 

"Thanks," he said softly, letting them fall back into silence, staring down at the blanket.

 

"We're not gonna make it, are we," Zack said at length, staring out at the mountain.

 

"What?" Jason asked, turning his head to look at him.

 

Zack didn't meet his gaze, though. "Us, the team. We aren't going to morph, we won't make it to stop Rita. Everyone's gonna die."

 

"I won't let that happen," Jason said fiercely.

 

Zack laughed humorlessly. "Oh yeah? And how you gonna do that, bossman? In case you didn't notice, your team isn't actually a team."

 

"We are, we'll do something," Jason protested.

 

"We can't even morph!" Zack said, at last looking at Jason. "Maybe it's time to stop being delusional. I mean hell, we aren't even friends! You and Kim, you both miss your popular perfect lives -- we know that if you had the chance to go back to that, you'd leave us in a heartbeat."

 

"Me and Kim, huh? Well what about you and Trini," Jason said, eyes narrowing. "You'll just go off on your own and leave us behind!"

 

Zack snorted. "Right, because it has to be us, the two kids who literally have no other friends, holding the group back. You really are a dumb jock."

 

Jason shoved him, watching him rock sideways. "Shut up!"

 

Zack just laughed. "What's the matter, too much truth for you to handle in one night? Don't forget, bossman, crazy girl and me just fucking bared our souls to you lot, and your response was 'not tonight' and 'everyone already knows me.' Hell, even Billy spilled his secrets, and you and Kim just fucking sat there and _watched_. We're not friends -- we're not a team. We're nothing."

 

"Kim's going through a tough time--" Jason tried to defend.

 

" _Kim's_ got it rough? Yeah, must be real tough, not having any friends except us losers and having parents who care about you and a safe house to live in," Zack said sarcastically.

 

"Shut up, Zack, you don't know us -- you don't know _me_ ," Jason said, hands balling into fists.

 

"Enlighten me, then," Zack said, meeting Jason's gaze. "Who are you, Jason?"

 

Jason met his gaze, angry, but Zack actually saying his name for once instead of some dumb nickname made him pause, blinking and breaking eye contact.

 

"I'm the leader," Jason answered slowly.

 

Zack snorted. "Right."

 

Jason glared at him. "I'm the leader," he repeated. "Always. I have to be the best, because I have to carry everyone else's weight. The leader of the team is the one who's responsible for it, for the wins and the fuck ups."

 

"Bullshit," Zack said, startling Jason. "That's bullshit, that's not what a real leader does. The leader is supposed to work with the team, not carry their dead weight."

 

"I'm the guy everyone looks up to, the guy who always knows what to do, the guy who fucked everything up and ruined his future and I don't even care," Jason continued, barreling over Zack's words.

 

"I don't care," Jason repeated. "I just want everyone to stop staring at me and thinking, that guy, he knows what to do. I have no fucking clue what I'm doing."

 

Zack stared at him, but Jason just glared at his lap, so angry at himself and at everyone for putting this pressure on him.

 

"Maybe... I'm the reason we can't morph," Jason added softly.

 

"Fuck that," Zack said immediately.

 

"I'm a screw up, I'm probably messing it up for everyone else--"

 

" _Fuck that_ ," Zack repeated, louder. "We're all screw ups."

 

Jason looked up at that.

 

"We're all screw ups," Zack said again, meeting and holding his gaze. "And if I had to pick a leader for us, I'd still hand you the red coin. You're... not that bad of a leader."

 

Jason snorted. "Thanks."

 

"I'm serious! Just... open up to us, man. It's not up to you to stop Rita, it's up to _us_. We're supposed to be a team," Zack said.

 

Jason was silent, but some of the pressure in his chest had eased up a bit, knocking into Zack's shoulder wordlessly and getting a grin in response.

 

"You're pretty good a pep talks," he said at least.

 

Zack laughed. "At your service."

 

"I should head home," Jason said, shifting and pushing up to stand. "See you for training tomorrow?"

 

"Whatever you say, bossman," Zack replied, not moving from his spot but looking up at him.

 

"Right," Jason snorted, shaking his head and starting to walk home.

 

"Jason," Zack called, making the other teen pause and look back at him. "We'll do something."

 

Jason nodded, offering a short wave and turning back around to head home, sneaking into his house and crashing in bed.

 

And after Kim woke him only a few hours later and he did his best to give her her own pep talk and they met with the team at the football field and learned that Rita had gone after Trini... His anger built and he looked at his team -- his _friends_ \-- and he met Zack's eyes. "We're all screw ups," he said. "And as much as I hate this bullshit town... I don't wanna just sit around and watch it die okay? Let's go and do the one thing that's been asked of us and kill Rita."


End file.
